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Il cacciatore di aquiloni
by
Si dice che il tempo guarisca ogni ferita. Ma per Amir il passato è una bestia dai lunghi artigli, pronta a riacciuffarlo quando meno se lo aspetta. Sono trascorsi molti anni dal giorno in cui la vita del suo amico Hassan - il ragazzo dal viso di bambola, il cacciatore di aquiloni - è cambiata per sempre in un vicolo di Kabul. Quel giorno Amir ha commesso una colpa terribi
...moreGet A Copy
Paperback, 1st edition, 390 pages
Published
2004
by Piemme
(first published May 29th 2003)
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Nov 10, 2007
Linda
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Can't really recommend it, I'm sorry.
Shelves:
fiction,
the-wide-world
Finished this book about a month ago but it's taken me this long to write a review about it because I have such mixed feelings about it. It was a deeply affecting novel, but mostly not in a good way. I really wanted to like it, but the more I think about what I didn't like about the book, the more it bothers me. I even downgraded this review from two stars to one from the time I started writing it to the time I finished.
Let's start off with the good, shall we? The writing itself was pretty good ...more
Let's start off with the good, shall we? The writing itself was pretty good ...more

In 2012, when I was Mathematics teacher at a private high school in Iran, I had an Afghan student in my class. Sometimes, I discussed with my students about literature, and I told them of novels and poem. I found it very strange that my students had no interest in literature and even sometimes looked with hostility to this discussion. Days passed and much time was left to the end of school year. One day I saw Ali, Afghan student, came to me and had a booklet in his hand and I saw in his eyes sev
...more

This is the sort of book White America reads to feel worldly. Just like the spate of Native American pop fiction in the late eighties, this is overwhelmingly colonized literature, in that it pretends to reveal some aspect of the 'other' culture, but on closer inspection (aside from the occasional tidbit) it is a thoroughly western story, firmly ensconced in the western tradition.
Even those tidbits Hosseini gives are of such a vague degree that to be impressed by them, one would have to have alm ...more
Even those tidbits Hosseini gives are of such a vague degree that to be impressed by them, one would have to have alm ...more

"For you, a thousand times over."
"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors."
"...attention shifted to him like sunflowers turning to the sun."
"But even when he wasn't around, he was."
"When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal a wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing."
"...she ha ...more
"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors."
"...attention shifted to him like sunflowers turning to the sun."
"But even when he wasn't around, he was."
"When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal a wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing."
"...she ha ...more

May 21, 2007
Chris
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Monkeys
Recommended to Chris by:
Everyone
Due to the large number of negative comments I've received, including death wishes, I've added the following request:
Please do not take this review (or yourself) too seriously when reading it.
I became what I am today at the age of twenty-nine, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 2008.
What I am about to tell you about what I became is going to be very shocking. It is going to manipulate your emotions. It may include some random words in my native language for no reason whatsoever. It w ...more
Please do not take this review (or yourself) too seriously when reading it.
I became what I am today at the age of twenty-nine, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 2008.
What I am about to tell you about what I became is going to be very shocking. It is going to manipulate your emotions. It may include some random words in my native language for no reason whatsoever. It w ...more

The Kite Runner, 2003, Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books.
It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan.
The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban reg ...more
The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books.
It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan.
The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban reg ...more

Sad stories make good books.
"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975."
There are two types of books, usually, that makes one feel like there are no words to describe the experience: They are either unbelievably detrimental, or exceptionally (and positively) impactful. Given the overall high rating, it is redundant to tell, to which category does The Kite Runner belong. I don't think there are that many books, especially fiction ...more

Oct 29, 2008
Will Byrnes
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
historical-fiction
This is a wonderful, moving novel set in the Afghanistan of the early 70’s and of today, about a young boy and his friend growing up in Kabul. Amir desperately wants his father’s approval, but Baba is not quick to give it. He is a rich man, brimming with macho vibrancy, while his son is a different sort altogether. Amir is fast friends with Hassan, the son of his father’s servant. They are as close as brothers. But, beset by bullies, an event occurs that changes Amir’s life. There is much death
...more

It's been a while since I've been this frustrated with a main character...
...more

”When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing.”
I’m going to be honest with you. To read this book was a constant struggle, not because I didn’t like the writing style, not because it was bad and not because it was boring. No, if anything “The Kite Runner” was so hard to read becau ...more
I’m going to be honest with you. To read this book was a constant struggle, not because I didn’t like the writing style, not because it was bad and not because it was boring. No, if anything “The Kite Runner” was so hard to read becau ...more

Oct 01, 2016
Caz (littlebookowl)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook
4.5 stars!
Oh, my heart. This was heartbreaking and beautifully written!
Oh, my heart. This was heartbreaking and beautifully written!

‘for you, a thousand times over.’
no words can describe the heaviness i am feeling in my heart right now.
i will never re-read this as it is too emotionally devastating (i genuinely cant remember the last time a book made me cry so much), but i know it is a story that will stay will me for the rest of my life. of that, i have no doubt.
also, john, thanks for recommending this book, but i will be sending you my bill for all the therapy i will need after this.
↠ 5 stars ...more
no words can describe the heaviness i am feeling in my heart right now.
i will never re-read this as it is too emotionally devastating (i genuinely cant remember the last time a book made me cry so much), but i know it is a story that will stay will me for the rest of my life. of that, i have no doubt.
also, john, thanks for recommending this book, but i will be sending you my bill for all the therapy i will need after this.
↠ 5 stars ...more

Two little friends, an unspeakable secret, and a quest for redemption.
"Amir" and "Hassan" are two little boys living in the peaceful Afghanistan of 1975, before the russian invasion, and the subsequent civil wars. Amir is the spoiled son of a wealthy and prominent merchant. Hassan is the cleft lipped son of an inferior caste, and a servant in the house they both live in. During their childhood they become fervent competitors in kite fighting tournaments, and unquestionable friends. Until one fat ...more
"Amir" and "Hassan" are two little boys living in the peaceful Afghanistan of 1975, before the russian invasion, and the subsequent civil wars. Amir is the spoiled son of a wealthy and prominent merchant. Hassan is the cleft lipped son of an inferior caste, and a servant in the house they both live in. During their childhood they become fervent competitors in kite fighting tournaments, and unquestionable friends. Until one fat ...more

Jan 14, 2008
Matt
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who slurp up 'chicken soup for the soul' books
i really wanted to like this novel. judging from its thousands of 'five-star reviews' hailing it as the one of the 'best books ever written,' i'm in the minority when i state that this novel, while well-intentioned, just left a little bit of sour taste in my mouth.
my problems with the novel are as follows: first of all the writing itself is so ham-fistened, heavy-handed, distracting and otherwise puzzling that by the midway point, i seriously considered chucking the book against the wall. each ...more
my problems with the novel are as follows: first of all the writing itself is so ham-fistened, heavy-handed, distracting and otherwise puzzling that by the midway point, i seriously considered chucking the book against the wall. each ...more

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ( Berliani M. Nugrahani, Translator) is a 2004 Riverhead Books publication.
Earlier this year I read Moloka'i by Alan Brennert, another book, like this one, written back in 2004. It seemed I was the only person in the world who had not read the book, and once I’d finished reading it, I wondered why it had taken me so long to read it. This got me to thinking about all the books that I’d intended to read, but never got around to. So, despite my strong feelings ab ...more
Earlier this year I read Moloka'i by Alan Brennert, another book, like this one, written back in 2004. It seemed I was the only person in the world who had not read the book, and once I’d finished reading it, I wondered why it had taken me so long to read it. This got me to thinking about all the books that I’d intended to read, but never got around to. So, despite my strong feelings ab ...more

I liked this book a lot. Due to the uncomfortable nature of the story told, I'll probably never read it again, but I'm glad that I did read it once. I saw it as the story of one not very likeable boy growing up in a soon to be war torn region and his eventual struggle for redemption.
I was quite surprised to see how popular some of the negative reviews of this book were and I'd like to comment on a few of the comments they contained.
One condemnatory critic said "This is the sort of book White A ...more
I was quite surprised to see how popular some of the negative reviews of this book were and I'd like to comment on a few of the comments they contained.
One condemnatory critic said "This is the sort of book White A ...more

WOW! This book was beautiful, exquisite.
This book follows the story of a rich boy named Amir who grows up playing with his buddy Hassan who is the son of his father's servant. This story is one of friendship, betrayal, love, redemption, and family.
There were so many different twists in this book that I never saw coming. It was also so real that I had to Google, "Is The Kite Runner based on a true story?" If you are wondering, no, it is not.
Honestly, this book was so moving and beautiful that I ...more
This book follows the story of a rich boy named Amir who grows up playing with his buddy Hassan who is the son of his father's servant. This story is one of friendship, betrayal, love, redemption, and family.
There were so many different twists in this book that I never saw coming. It was also so real that I had to Google, "Is The Kite Runner based on a true story?" If you are wondering, no, it is not.
Honestly, this book was so moving and beautiful that I ...more

Amir, a little boy growing up in the early 1970's in Kabul the capital of Afghanistan, has the idyllic life a wealthy father Baba, a widower the mother died giving birth to Amir he believes the father hates him for that, in the most beautiful house some say in the city, a great friend Hassan the son of Ali, a servant and loyal to the family. Baba and Ali had been friends too in childhood strange since Hassan's father is just a Hazara (Mongol), Hassan's promiscuous mother had left them to join a
...more

Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com
'The Kite Runner' had been sitting on my TBR list for years. I kept putting it off because while I was sure that it would be a fantastic book, it isn't the type of smutty romance that I usually read. I knew that I'd have to be in the right kind of mood to read it. Finally, I found myself wanting to read something a little different to break me out of a reading rut and I downloaded the Audible version of 'The Kite Runner' and started listenin ...more
'The Kite Runner' had been sitting on my TBR list for years. I kept putting it off because while I was sure that it would be a fantastic book, it isn't the type of smutty romance that I usually read. I knew that I'd have to be in the right kind of mood to read it. Finally, I found myself wanting to read something a little different to break me out of a reading rut and I downloaded the Audible version of 'The Kite Runner' and started listenin ...more

“There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood.”
I’ve read books before with an unreliable narrator and also read accounts of cowardice and shame. Amir, the first-person protagonist and narrator from Hosseini’s 2003 novel, filled me with such disgust and loathing that I almost put the book down at 25%.
My doctor would say that Amir suffered from AWDD – Ass whooping deficiency disorder and I would enthusiastically second that diagnosis.
That said, I invite everyone to read the boo ...more
I’ve read books before with an unreliable narrator and also read accounts of cowardice and shame. Amir, the first-person protagonist and narrator from Hosseini’s 2003 novel, filled me with such disgust and loathing that I almost put the book down at 25%.
My doctor would say that Amir suffered from AWDD – Ass whooping deficiency disorder and I would enthusiastically second that diagnosis.
That said, I invite everyone to read the boo ...more

May 11, 2008
La Petite Américaine
added it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Morons Who Enjoy This Kind of Crap
After pondering long and hard, I'm going to try now to articulate just what it was about this book that sucked so much, why it has offended me so greatly, and why its popularity has enraged me even more. This book blew so much that I've been inspired to start my own website of book reviews for non-morons. So let us explore why.
First, let's deal with the writer himself. Hosseini's father worked for Western companies while in Afghasnistan. While daddy (who I am guessing, from Hosseini's tragic ac ...more
First, let's deal with the writer himself. Hosseini's father worked for Western companies while in Afghasnistan. While daddy (who I am guessing, from Hosseini's tragic ac ...more

Jul 24, 2007
Naeem
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone wanting to keep their blinders on
I found this book a failure of courage and imagination -- all the more upsetting for the author's astute sense of detail and wonderful psychological depth. But ask yourself this: if the Taliban are real humans than why are they not represented as such? No doubt we will all love the movie as well.
If you want to read a book on Afghanistan, I recommend Jason Elliot's An Unexpected Light.
Below is my complete review:
I started out loving this book. Hosseini is dead on target in his depiction of child ...more
If you want to read a book on Afghanistan, I recommend Jason Elliot's An Unexpected Light.
Below is my complete review:
I started out loving this book. Hosseini is dead on target in his depiction of child ...more

Feb 10, 2018
❄️BooksofRadiance❄️
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical,
favorites
”For you, a thousand times over.”
We are currently experiencing some expressional difficulties.

Should be back in business once emotions are in full functioning mode.
...more
We are currently experiencing some expressional difficulties.

Should be back in business once emotions are in full functioning mode.


Guilt
The Kite Runner is emotional and immersive, a story that is amplified with its spotlight on society and culture within Afganistan - both past and present. The story relates to the lives of two boys, Amir and Hassan, growing up in Kabul and narrated through the eyes of Amir. There are major societal and lifestyle differences between them but it is the character and principles of the two boys that defines this literary classic. Amir is the son of a rich man, he is educated, refined, and mos ...more
The Kite Runner is emotional and immersive, a story that is amplified with its spotlight on society and culture within Afganistan - both past and present. The story relates to the lives of two boys, Amir and Hassan, growing up in Kabul and narrated through the eyes of Amir. There are major societal and lifestyle differences between them but it is the character and principles of the two boys that defines this literary classic. Amir is the son of a rich man, he is educated, refined, and mos ...more

We move backwards to early seventies’ Afghanistan , Kabul to meet with Amir who is a young boy, whose only happiness related with his father’s approval and his best friend Hassan: who is father’s servant’s son!
As monarchy of Afghanistan is under threat by Russian invasion, those boys’ life will never be the same!
This is one of the darkest, most effective, heart wrenching stories you’ve ever read! Sometimes incidents you’ve read are extremely hard to absorb. You want to take a break, closing yo ...more
As monarchy of Afghanistan is under threat by Russian invasion, those boys’ life will never be the same!
This is one of the darkest, most effective, heart wrenching stories you’ve ever read! Sometimes incidents you’ve read are extremely hard to absorb. You want to take a break, closing yo ...more

Aug 02, 2013
Basuhi
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone, everywhere, if you are human.
Shelves:
books-i-own
Before I started this book, I distinctively remember running my hands over the cover, over the embossed letters that read, The Kite Runner, with not a thought spared but just a sense of hope and anticipation.
Now, after I've finished it, I'm once again running my hands over them.
Those letters that read, The Kite Runner.
Those letters that mean a lot more than what they seemed to a few days ago.
Yes.
Oh.
No.
Yes.
Oh.
Oh.
This is just a tiny fraction of "Oh"s that I felt during my journey through thi ...more

"Tank you wery match."
Sohrab squeezed my soul then and there. I love this kid so much.
I love Hassan too much too. But there's no normal way of talking or writing anything without crying whenever that name comes up. I cannot believe a name can make me cry anytime anywhere now.
But Hassan never asked for sympathy. But my heart ... (Sorry, I just wailed for the umpteenth time while writing this sentence...) is so broken at the moment. I don't think I will ever get healed from this pain and sorrow.
I ...more
Sohrab squeezed my soul then and there. I love this kid so much.
I love Hassan too much too. But there's no normal way of talking or writing anything without crying whenever that name comes up. I cannot believe a name can make me cry anytime anywhere now.
But Hassan never asked for sympathy. But my heart ... (Sorry, I just wailed for the umpteenth time while writing this sentence...) is so broken at the moment. I don't think I will ever get healed from this pain and sorrow.
I ...more

May 13, 2008
Jackie Gill
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
"Simple People"
Recommended to Jackie by:
Masses of "Simple People"
Shelves:
so-bad-i-must-warn-others
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Jan 24, 2022
Margaret M (Semi hiatus until October)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
best-historical-fiction,
favorites
“I opened my mouth, almost said something. Almost. The rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I didn’t. I just watched. Paralysed”
Five stars for a stunning book where remorse, guilt, injustice, prejudice, and forgiveness play a significant part in the heart-breaking stories of Amir, son of Baba, and Hassan, son of Rahim Aga, a loyal friend and servant to the Amir’s father, set against the backdrop of some of Afghanistan’s most turbulent years.
'The Kite Runner' is an unfo ...more
Five stars for a stunning book where remorse, guilt, injustice, prejudice, and forgiveness play a significant part in the heart-breaking stories of Amir, son of Baba, and Hassan, son of Rahim Aga, a loyal friend and servant to the Amir’s father, set against the backdrop of some of Afghanistan’s most turbulent years.
'The Kite Runner' is an unfo ...more

4 to 4.5 (I need half stars!)
This was a very interesting and well written story of Afghanistan and how it has changed over the last 50 years or so. It was fascinating to get the impression of things from someone who lived through it. While a fictional story, it is obvious that the author drew from his own experiences.
In America, we get an impression of how things are/were through the media and word of mouth. Without actually doing research or talking to someone who who lived through it, you real ...more
This was a very interesting and well written story of Afghanistan and how it has changed over the last 50 years or so. It was fascinating to get the impression of things from someone who lived through it. While a fictional story, it is obvious that the author drew from his own experiences.
In America, we get an impression of how things are/were through the media and word of mouth. Without actually doing research or talking to someone who who lived through it, you real ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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"For you, a thousand times over," | 10 | 1307 | Jun 30, 2022 05:50PM | |
about Amir's upbringing | 2 | 2 | Jun 30, 2022 05:46PM |
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Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. In 1970 Hosseini and his family moved to Iran where his father worked for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Tehran. In 1973 Hosseini's family returned to Kabul, and Hosseini's youngest brother was born in July of that year.
In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France, and moved the family there. They were u ...more
In 1976, when Hosseini was 11 years old, Hosseini's father obtained a job in Paris, France, and moved the family there. They were u ...more
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“For you, a thousand times over”
—
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